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Overview

The Amazon rain forest, at over a billion acres, is the largest tropical rain forest in the world and is home to a dazzling amount of wildlife and colorful flora. One of the best ways to visit this pristine jungle is by water, traveling up or down the the second-longest river in the world, the Amazon. The Brazilian city of Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon jungle, is and the departure and arrival point for a variety of vessels that ply the waters of the river.

Iberostar Grand Amazon

The Iberostar Grand Amazon is a luxury cruise ship that offers four- and five-day cruises of the Amazon River and several of its major tributaries from the city of Manaus. The three-story ship features a pool on its top deck, a fitness center, nightly on-board entertainment and two different restaurants. The tours include excursions to shore by small boat and treks in the jungle, photo safaris at scenic locales, piranha fishing and bird watching at the pristine Rio Puduari. Iberostar tours include drinks, food, lodging and entry fees to all nature reserves and parks. Iberostar Grand Amazon Avenue Marques de Santa Cruz, 25 - Downtown Manaus Amazones 69.055-050, Brazil +55-92-2126-99-00 iberostar.com/EN

Amazon Clipper Cruise

The Amazon Clipper Cruise provides a three-, four- or six-day tour of the Amazon River aboard a classic riverboat. It departs from the city of Manaus. Guests are housed in double-bunk rooms, and meals are prepared fresh daily from items purchased in local towns and fresh fish that is caught along your river journey. The tours include nightly lectures on Amazon ecology and feature visits to native communities, canoe trips into submerged forests and hiking treks into the January Ecological Park, a large pristine reserve of dense jungle. Amazon Clipper Cruise 2665 South Bayshore Drive, Suite 445 Miami, FL 33133 888-527-2745 amazontravel.com

Dona Tania Houseboat Tour

One of the smallest and most intimate vessels that offers multiday tours of the Amazon River, the Dona Tania is an air-conditioned houseboat with six cabins that offers seven- and 11-day tours of the region. Tours spend three days on the Amazon River itself and three to six days on the Rio Negro, a major tributary that hosts some of the most pristine ecological areas of the Amazon Basin, including Novo Airao, home of the legendary pink dolphins. Cruises are all-inclusive and also feature a day of sightseeing in the fascinating city of Manaus after the river tour. Dona Tania Houseboat Tour infohub.com/vacation_packages/2737.html

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About the Author

Based in San Francisco, Ocean Malandra is a travel writer, author and documentary filmmaker. He runs a major San Francisco travel website, is widely published in both online and print publications and has contributed to several travel guidebooks to South America.